Flames, Dust and Blood
by lunaXgackt
Summary: Cid and Yuffie go missing. Vincent, Cloud and the gang come to the rescue. vvXyuffie action/romance. rated m for later chapters. possible lemon, violence.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. This is a nonprofit fic.

Setting: ~ After DoC~, I took and will take some liberties with naming geographical areas of the world since I am not super –in touch-- with the Final Fantasy world. I have watched Advent Children numerous times and I have played DoC but not FF7.

Rating: M. Most likely will contain some adult themes including but not limited to: Sex, violence, language. Its rated M just in case. This is intended to be an action/romance/drama fic.

Reviews: Please be kind! This is my first online published fic. I am welcome to any and all reviews tho. Thanks!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vincent walked into 7th Heaven, the light filtering in through the door as he closed it again. It was considerably darker in the bar compared to the brightness of the day. His red eyes quickly adjusting.

"Vincent!" Tifa exclaimed. She walked over from behind the bar and gave him a big hug. He lightly patted her on the back, somewhat uncomfortable in the embrace.

"Tifa…" he acknowledged.

"Its been a few months, hasn't it?" She stood back regarding him, her hands on her hips, a dirty bar cloth in one hand. She wore her normal black shirt, shorts and skirt.

He nodded. "Indeed." He looked around the bar, noticing only a few patrons.

"Well, come in then. Get settled. I'll let Cloud know you're here. Do you want anything to drink?" She asked as she walked back to the bar.

"That would be nice. Thank you, Tifa. Something cold, preferably…non-alcoholic."

She smiled, "Sure thing."

Tifa busied herself with making him some iced tea, while picking up the phone to contact Cloud. "Hey, there. Yeah, I'm fine. Can you come to the bar for a bit. Someone is here to see you……Alright, Love you…..Bye" She hung up the phone as she walked over to Vincent, iced tea in hand.

"Thank you, Tifa."

She sat the drink down and said, "He'll be here in a few. He was out making a delivery. Let me take care of these customers and then I'll join you."

He nodded and proceeded to squeeze the lemon wedge she provided on the edge of his tea into the drink. She busied herself with her customers, collecting their tabs. Marlene and Denzel walked into the door, outfitted with backpacks and weary faces. Marlene's face brightened as her eyes adjusted.

"Vincent!!!" She squealed. She ran over, dropped her backpack, and jumped up to wrap both her arms around his neck. He hugged her lightly back, though this time he hid a bit of a smile. The little one always seemed to amuse him. Denzel smiled and followed his sister. He sat down across the table from Vincent, setting his backpack down on the floor next to him. He looked weary and perhaps a bit scared.

He seemed to stiffen as Tifa approached, her eyebrows raised. She gave a secret smile and wink to Vincent. "Its report card day today, isn't it?" Denzel paled and Marlene untangled her arms around Vincent hesitantly, looking to his protective cloak for refuge. "…But… I guess we can worry about it later." She smiled. The two younglings heaved great sighs of relief. "You can see your Uncle Vincent a bit later, you two have chores to do. Get them done quickly, okay?" They both jetted upstairs with their backpacks slung around one shoulder. She smiled and sighed, letting her body fall into the chair Denzel once habited. She propped her head on one hand, her elbow on the table. "So, how's it going? We don't see you very often."

He looked down at his drink, "I'm doing well. I was in the neighborhood."

She looked at him. "Dilly Dally. You rarely give yourself a break, Vincent. You're always following up on leads or in the midst of some battle."

His eyes locked with hers, "I guess I can't fool you, then." She smiled. The sound of Cloud's bike rumbled up to the bar. He was putting his goggles back onto his head as he opened the door. "Hey, Vince. " He waved and walked over to the table. He pulled a chair up next to Tifa and turned it around, straddling it and resting his arms on the back of it.

Vincent nodded coolly, "Cloud."

"What do owe the honor of your visit?" Cloud cheekily asked.

Vincent looked grave. "I haven't been able to contact Yuffie for sometime now. She went on a mission with Cid two weeks ago, according to Reeve. Neither one has been heard from since." Tifa's eyebrows shot up in alarm as she looked to Cloud to confirm what she just heard and that she wasn't imagining this. Cloud's blond brows squeezed together, he looked puzzled. "You sure? What about their tracking beacon?" Vincent nodded, "Reeve has been able to locate their tracking beacon irregularly. It seems the sky captain's ship has been damaged or is malfunctioning. Reeve contacted me last night. I'm on my way to the Mauriyn Deserts to investigate." He took a drink of his iced tea as the news settled on his friends in front of him.

"I can't leave, because of Marlene and Denzel. Cloud?" She looked at him for his response.

Cloud's gaze remained on Vincent. "Do you need me to come along?" he asked.

"I may need the help. I'm not sure what exactly is going on and if its big enough to take down an airship, we might have problems…or rather… I'd have problems going at it alone."

Cloud nodded. "I'll contact Reno and Rude to see if they can provide us back up. How soon do -"

Vincent shook his head. "Reeve has contacted all the people necessary for backup. Barrett is already on his way. Reno and Rude are landing at the heliport outside of town in a few hours to pick us up."

Cloud's eyebrows shot up. "Alright, then. Seems this has already been planned out." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'll go pack some rations and food for you guys." Tifa got up and made her way to the bar.

"Thanks, Tifa," Cloud said in response.

Vincent took another sip of his tea.

"Granted I can't let my friends down, but I was hoping for a little more down time from the last incident. I really hate leaving Tifa behind like this," the blond admitted. "I guess that's why he had you come talk to me instead of just giving me a call?"

Vincent nodded affirmatively.

"I was afraid so,"Cloud responded. He stood up from the chair and stretched. "I need to say a few farewells and pack a bag." The blonde turned and made his way over to the bar. Tifa stood with back facing the bar as she tried to hide her crying. Cloud walked up behind her and gently wrapped her with his strong arms. He leaned over and spoke softly in her ear, reassuringly. They stayed like that for several minutes until she turned around and hugged him hard.

Vincent sighed inwardly. He hated to put such stress on Cloud and his family. However, if things were as bad as he feared, he knew that Cloud was the only one who could assist him with the job. He swirled the tea around in his glass. His thoughts strayed to Yuffie. Their last encounter was the day before she left.

"_Be careful, Yuffie." She smiled brightly and gave him a hug. He stiffened at first but relaxed and pulled her close to him. "Don't worry, you big lug. I know how to take care of myself. I'll be back before ya know it!"_

Another inward sigh. I should have gone with her, was all he could say to himself for the last 12 hours. He was, of course, blaming himself. Their relationship had been heading in what some would call a "natural" direction. Over the years of working together, they had been getting closer and to some level he was more comfortable with her than anyone else. Why he would let her go alone, was beyond him. He had some crazy idea these past few months that she didn't always need someone around to protect her. That she was a capable woman who could defend herself. Plus, she didn't need some old man coddling her all the time. He let her go, fearing that she would resent him later if he went. What weird thoughts to have. Several years ago, these things wouldn't have mattered… much less even formed in his mind. These thoughts could have…may have even resulted in her death. How stupid have I been? He sighed outwardly. Chaos, grumbled something about humans and love and being pathetic. Vincent ignored him. A few minutes later, Cloud walked upstairs and Vincent could hear the children react to him relaying his soon departure. Marlene was quiet but he could hear Denzel beg Cloud to take him along.

Marlene walked downstairs slowly, chores forgotten. Her shoulders drooped and her eyes were on the ground when she walked up to Vincent. Vincent reached over to pick her up and set her on his knee. She sniffled but kept her gaze on the ground, "I guess you're going too?"

"Mmhmm," Vincent replied.

She looked up at him, "You promise to come back and see us again?"

He patted her head, "Don't worry. I'll come back with Cloud after we're done."

She brightened immediately. "Okay!" She hugged him and then ran back upstairs. Cloud passed her as he walked back downstairs with a bag slung over his shoulder. He scooped her up with his free arm and gave her a big hug. "Don't forget to do your homework and help Tifa out around the place while I'm gone, okay?" She hugged him back and responded affirmatively with a giggle after he tickled her. He let her down and walked over to Vincent.

"I'm ready," he said.

Vincent finished his tea and stood, stretching. He wondered silently if either of them would truly be ready for the days ahead. Tifa saw them out, handing them a week's worth of rations and unabashedly kissing Cloud long and hard. With the final farewell in place, Cloud climbed onto his motorcycle and Vincent on foot (because he insisted that his way was faster) they both left for the helipad north of the city.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters. This is a nonprofit publication.

Reviews welcome. Rated M for language, violence and possible lemon in later chapters.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Reeve Tuesti sat back in his chair, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The computer screen blinked a red dot in the middle of a map of the Mauriyn Desert. Since last week he had been trying to locate the emergency tracking beacon on Cid Highwind's airship. Their mission was supposed to be only a week and a half long and after no communication from either Cid or Yuffie, Reeve started to worry. His computers did all the calculating for him and it was rather strange that the ship was in the Mauriyn Desert. It was about 250 km from their destination, the Telemecha Ruins. According to all reports and rumors, there was much wealth and materia to be found in those ruins. The outlook did not look good. He hoped that Vincent and Cloud could sort it out.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vincent sat back in the copter, harnessed in; Cloud sitting opposite from him. Vincent explained the whole situation to Cloud. Cloud sat in silence as he tried to absorb the knowledge and prepare himself for what he may be faced with in a few hours.

"Why didn't you accompany them?" Cloud asked as his eyebrows knitted together.

"From all reports, they were entering abandoned ruins. The creatures residing within were nothing either one of them couldn't handle alone. Contrary to popular belief, "he continued," I do occasionally take a break from all of the missions that do come my way."

Cloud's eyebrows shot up, "Ah…" was all he said.

Chaos rumbled within. The demon was not fond of the helicopter ride. He had mentioned more than a few times that the machine made them a target for whatever took the airship down. However, he knew that the best way to find the airship was from the air. If it was on the ground or in pieces, it would be easier to see from above.

The cabin lurched. Reno came on the speaker, "Yo. Sorry, guys. We're hitting some fierce winds that are creating turbulence. As soon as we are over the mountains, we will be on the desert side and it will be an hour before we reach the beacon. Just sit back and relax."

Vincent took a deep breath and leaned back trying to relax. The next hour ahead was going to be hell. His guts were tied in knots about what they were going to find.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~A few days before:~

The sand whipped around her feet causing a whirlwind to form and carry the dust into the air around her. The night breeze cool as it ran through her hair and cooled the sweat trickling down her neck. Her arm was aching and the gashes on her shoulder and head were clotted with sand and dried blood. She stumbled forward, trying to put some ground between her and the downed airship. She was in no shape to fight. She was sure that she had some broken ribs on the side she landed on during the initial attack. Her arm on that side broke her fall but amazingly it was just sore, not broken, although she couldn't lift it. Her breath caught as pains from her side shot up. She stopped and tried to relax. The adrenaline was still pumping hard in her body but it was starting to wear off. She could hear shouts from the other airship, _the enemy airship,_ as it landed next to the downed aircraft. Over her good shoulder, she carried a sack of materia. She kept moving. Cid was alive, that much she knew, he was never going to leave his ship though. He'd die with it. He pretty much pushed her out the emergency exit as she argued with him about staying and fighting. He said something about how Vincent wouldn't forgive him if she died. In her confusion about that statement, Cid didn't give her a moment's notice before he booted her onto the inflatable emergency slide outside the door. She kept moving, knowing only that she had to get away. Her belongings and anything she owned electronic were still in the ship. She'd forgotten them on her frantic search for the materia. There was no way she could contact Reeve or Vincent or Cloud or Barrett or anyone she knew. She was going to be roaming this stinking desert all by herself in a horrible state of disrepair. She would have rather stayed to fight but knew that meant death (or worse) just as much as the unforgiving desert would. Another stitch in her side. "Dammit!!" She exclaimed. Moments later the air exploded behind her. The concussive force of the blast knocked her to the ground, the materia flying from her reach. She landed hard again on her broken ribs, all breath knocked out of her. Pieces of hot metal went flying past her. _Shit! _She thought. Slowly she recovered, spitting sand out of her mouth, coughing and rolling over onto her back. _This keeps getting worse_, was her last thought before she passed out.

***

_Ouch, ow, ow, ow, _she thought. Her eyes fluttered open, dim light filtered from in between her eyelids. She was laying down on a cold hard surface. As she slowly came to, she realized her face was plastered to the metal floor. She could hear a faint humming from beneath. The events from before flooding back to her. _Oh crap!_ _I must have been captured! _She stirred, trying to lift herself off the floor. Her motions, alerting the man sitting next to her cell.

"Well, its about time, sweet cheeks." He drawled. Yuffie looked to the voice and could only see a silhouette outside what appeared to be the cell's bars. The person was wearing a cowboy hat and a duster. A cigarette hung from his lips, filling the room with smoke and obscuring his face. He pressed a finger to his ear and reported, "She's awake, boss." Moments later the door leading into the small compartment of jail cells slid open. "You are relieved of duty, Machen," a deep voice sounded.

"Aye, cap'n," the cowboy's boots clicked on the metal surface as he walked from the room, leaving a trail of smoke.

All sound in the room died and the lights brightened. The captain walked forward to inspect Yuffie. His black boots clicking on the metal surface, the medals on his thigh-length jacket clinking together with every step. His presence was very shocking. He had short, spiky black hair with long bangs, a very thin nose and bright blue eyes. Yuffie, now seated against the back wall of the cell, had to blink twice. He smirked at her reaction. He wore black leather pants and a buckled, brown jacket that lay slightly open to reveal the tight fitting black shirt beneath.

"Welcome to the SnowHawk, my dear. I'm Captain Rychos Swift. I apologize about the accommodations, however, I'm sure you understand the reasoning behind your current situation, " he said eloquently. He continued, "From the debris of your ship we discovered your ID as well as the one of your missing partner…pity that one…Your name is Yuffie Kisaragi. Age 21. Hometown: Wutai. Hmm…you are a long way from home…"

Yuffie got the feeling this man, liked to hear himself talk. She leaned her head back against the cold metal. This must be his personal form of torture. She tested her shoulder, feeling it had somewhat healed, her wounds here wrapped, and so were her ribs and arm. Her tattered shirt hung lightly over all the bandages and barely covered the important parts. They must have a doctor on board.

He noticed her inspection of her wraps and put forth, "Yes, our good doctor, Zavery, patched you up. Can't sell you to slave markets with you looking a mess, my dear." He smiled. Yuffie just looked at him dumbfounded. _This guy is twisted_, she thought. "Now, darling, don't give me that look. From one sky pirate to another, you know how the game is played. Don't look so shocked. Business is business." He pocketed her ID and crossed his arms, looking at her. "It's a pity, though. I could really use someone of your skills to hunt down materia. However, I figure that you are more of a hassle than you are worth. Which in some towns would be a lot!" He smirked. "And the good doctor tells me you are…untouched. Yes, yes, a good price indeed!" He was reveling in her shocked look.

She really wanted to get up and punch his lights out through the bars. However she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of her temper tantrum at the moment. She'd rather them think she was docile and harmless until she was in a position to escape. She slid along the wall and sunk to the floor. The cold floor felt good against her aching head. He laughed at what he thought was her despair as he walked off. She really wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back and curled up into a ball. _This really sucks_, she thought.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the helicopter circled the area, the hull of the ship stuck out like a sore thumb, Reno heard Cloud behind him take in a sharp breath. The majority of the debris was covered by sand, as it had most likely been a few days since the crash. As the helicopter sat down near the site, Vincent, Rude and Cloud immediately jumped out heading towards the most obvious wreckage.

"Keep your eyes out for survivors," Vincent mentioned. Cloud knew though that was hardly a possibility in this desert. As Vincent neared the emergency exit, he heard something rustle inside the ship. He stopped and put a hand up to stop Cloud. Two seconds later, "Take another blasted step and I'll kill ya!" The voice was most obviously Cid's. Cloud and Vincent looked at each other. Cloud yelled, "Hey Cid, its me, Cloud." Cid inched towards the exit and peeped out. Low and behold it was Cloud and Vincent. He must be hallucinating again. This couldn't be right…or maybe it was. He was so confused. "Is it really you, Cloud? Is that Vincent, too?"

"Yeah, we got word from Reeve that you were in trouble. We're here to help." the swordsman announced.

"Well, don't just stand there, come on! Can't move one of my legs and, dammit, I'm thirsty. Cloud smiled, well, at least it seemed Cid was okay…where was Yuffie.

Vincent asked hesitantly afraid of the response, "What happened to Yuffie? Is she there with you?"

"Man, Vincent. I'm so sorry. I kicked her out of the ship before I set off the detonation defense mechanism. Blew a nice hole in my baby here and then blasted me off into the desert. I really thought I was going to die with that blast…she should have been long gone before that, though. I stalled by fighting off some of the other pirates, then set off the timer when I knew I was outnumbered. Took a lot of them bastards out---"

"Cid, what about Yuffie?" Vincent cut him off short.

"Well, that's the thing. I haven't been able to do much searching with my broke leg. I told her to get going. When I woke up, it was mid day and the buzzards were circlin'. I crawled and hopped back here. I really don't know what happened to her after I kicked her down the slide." Cloud was already up in the hull, assessing Cid's leg. Cloud touched his com, "Reno, we'll need the stretcher."

"You _kicked_ her down the slide?" Vincent asked imposingly as he walked into the exit.

"Ah, dammit, Vince. Don't get mad. You know how she is. She was arguin' with me about fighting off the pirates but she was beat up really good. She was in no condition to fight. She took one helluva fall when we were taken by surprise. That damn pirate ship blasted us as we were leavin' the ruins. She wasn't buckled in and then fell hard. I'm sure she had a broke arm, ribs and a few cuts. Plus, you know how other pirates operate. It'd been worse than death for her. I just sure as hell hope they didn't get to her."

Vincent responded "Hn." His anger rising. Chaos stirring within. Cid noted the flare in his eye. Vincent leapt from the hull into the desert and searched for any sign of her within a few miles. He guessed she would have been running in this direction, straight out from the emergency exit. He knew that she had been bleeding…he sniffed for the scent of her blood, but found nothing. Even with the sand, he was sure that he'd be able to smell her if she were buried nearby. Still …nothing. She wasn't here.

Cloud walked up to him as Vincent stood in the middle of desert, his cloak blowing in the wind. He placed a hand on the taller man's shoulder. "Reno said that he did a subsurface scan of the surrounding desert. The computers didn't pick up anything but wreckage. They would have at least shown an anomaly of the materia she was carrying. Our best guess is that the pirates got what they came for. She is probably still alive but we need to get to her soon before any damage is done."

Vincent stood still and silent for several moments. Cloud waited but understood his inner turmoil. He felt the same way when Kadaj and his gang kidnapped Marlene and Denzel.

Vincent quietly responded,"I will take care of this myself. Go back home to Tifa and get Cid to safety."

"No, Vin—" Cloud started to say as an armoured vehicle drove up to the helicopter. Rude was so startled by the sudden appearance of the vehicle that he nearly dropped Cid on the stretcher. "Heeey! Its Barrett!" Reno announced as he clumsily slid Cid into the helicopter as he waved at Barrett. They busied themselves with securing the stretcher and starting the helicopter up.

Cloud and Vincent walked over to Barrett as he emerged. "HEY CLOUD! Oh! My man, Vince! How ya been?" The men shook hands and embraced in greeting.

"Well, we found Cid. But Yuffie has been kidnapped by sky pirates it seems," Cloud informed.

"WHAT? My little Yuffie's been kidnapped. That poor girl. Well, you can bet on it that I'll find her!!"

"_We'll_ find her," Vincent emphasized. "Cloud is going back to Edge with Cid and the Turks. We're heading towards the nearest, biggest town that deals in slavery."

"Sounds like a plan!" Barrett boasted enthusiastically.

Cloud just looked at Vincent, his mouth twisted in thought. "You sure about this, Vincent?"

"See you around, Cloud," he said as he waved and got in the passenger side of the vehicle. "Have Cid send Barrett the details of the pirate ship we're looking for," he added as an afterthought.

"Okay, see you guys, " Cloud waved back hesitantly as he boarded the helicopter. He desperately hoped that Vincent would get to her in time. There was no telling what was in store for her.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: As always, I'm sure there are a few mistakes that need to be corrected. I will do some edits tomorrow to clear up anything that needs it. On another note, thanks so much for the reviews! I've received great responses to this story! I really do appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. This is a nonprofit fanfic.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~*A day ago*~

_She was walking through a misty forest barefoot, the leaves of the trees falling about her. The fresh dew sparkling in the moonlight on the spring flowers along the path in front of her. Her ankles brushing the tops of the flowers, getting her feet wet. There was a crisp breeze, but not unpleasant. Ahead of her was a lone figure, dressed in red, cape floating about him in the breeze. It was Vincent. She walked towards him, his eyes never met hers, they focused on the ground before her….as she approached, the air around him started to swirl with purple energy…for a moment their eyes locked and she was heldfast in his gaze. Flames burst forth from his being catching the scenery ablaze in a matter of seconds. The ground was charred before her, hot and steaming. The trees around her stood like torches, the burning leaves falling all around them. Chaos stood before her. Before she could react, an evil talon, glinting with firelight was slashing towards her face---_

Yuffie awoke with a yelp. Her eyes wide and searching her surroundings. Her breathing was fast and short. She slowly realized where she was and took a deep breath, calming her racing heart. _Damn you, stupid head!_ She admonished her noggin with a palm. She had started having these dreams 2 years ago. She wasn't sure what brought them on, because way before then she was very aware of the demon living inside of him. Maybe it was because they were getting closer and the only thing that prevented her from making a move on him was the fear of Chaos. She was aware of the symbolism within the dream as she had a few years to contemplate them. She was getting closer to Vincent. Her fear of Chaos was coming between them. She sighed audibly and rubbed her eyes. At some point she needed to do something…make a decision in some direction. She couldn't live with these damned dreams much longer. Bringing it up to him, addressing their relationship would most definitely put a wedge between them…a very awkward wedge at that. There was a huge chance he'd tuck tail and run. So, that wasn't an option. Every time these thoughts appeared, she always decided that she would just let their relationship take it's course, one way or another.

Whatever…this was not the time to be thinking about her love life or lack thereof.

She thought of Cid. Did he make it out in time? Did he get killed by the blast? She sat up and leaned against the back wall, stretching her legs and bumping her chamber pot, aka dirty bucket, with her foot. Her shoulders slumped. What a terrible mess. She was sure that Vincent would be on his way as soon as he learned of the crash. But would he even know where to look? There was a lot of debris and sand…lots of sand. Would they assume they both died after not being able to find their bodies? Would she actually be sold into slavery? Man, her dad was going to be furious when he learned of this. The whole Wutai nation would come knocking on her newfound owner's door. She smirked and chuckled.

She scanned the room. It was empty, the hum of the engines absent beneath her. Her brows furrowed with the implications. A metal tray stood before her…something that looked like oatmeal…or vomit…she wasn't sure which, lay in a heap in the midst of the tray. A dinged metal cup of clear liquid was set beside it. No utensils she noticed…that would've been too easy. She knew better than to consume the stuff. Gosh, she was thirsty, though. She sniffed the liquid in the cup, it was odorless, but that didn't mean anything. She sifted through the oatmeal, finding nothing of interest either. Either they had good sedatives or didn't bother to sedate her at all. She took a sip of the liquid, rolling it around her tongue. It wasn't altered, from what she could tell. The oatmeal slop before her was rather unappetizing; however, she figured it was imperative to test it. These guys didn't know how much trouble they were in. If she could find some way to gain an advantage, she would be well on her way to escaping.

She shivered slightly as the cold metal floor chilled her bare legs. Her tiny khaki shorts doing nothing in the way of keeping her warm. Within a few minutes, the door to the brig opened up and a short, mousey-brown haired girl walked through. She had on a headband, but her long bangs fell into her face and the rest of her hair fell to her shoulders. She wore a blue jumpsuit with a red and white patch on it, symbolizing her rank as a medical personnel. It was obvious from this girl's stature that she was as beaten down as she could get. Her shoulders slumped, her face trained on the floor a good majority of the time, she never made eye contact unless it was needed. The girl walked up to the jail cell and laid a folded pile of clothes and a washcloth in front of Yuffie's cell. She quietly voiced, "You will need to change into these before the _guest_ arrives. It would be in your best interest to do it yourself, Machen or the others would not be kind in helping you should you refuse."

Yuffie just nodded and said "Okay. Thank you." As the girl made her way to leave, Yuffie added, "Whats your name?" The girl stopped dead in her tracks, unsure of whether to answer or not. Her eyes still trained on the floor

"I'm Zavery Starlight."

Yuffie smiled. "I'm Yuffie. Nice to meet you."

"I….I'm really not supposed to talk to you," a strange look crossed the girl's face as she turned and left.

Yuffie nearly jumped for joy. Man, if she could crack that girl and give her some spirit, she could be Yuffie's ticket out of this joint! She smiled broadly at the thought. The smile faded quickly as Machen walked into the brig. He walked up to her cell and leaned against the wall in front of it. One arm across his chest, the other flicking his cigarette. His cowboy hat shading his face, she still couldn't get a good look at him. "Well, honey. I ain't got all day," he said expectantly. Her face dropped. Damn pervert, she thought bitterly. Oh, he just made number one on my butt-kicking list, she inwardly noted. Well, she'd give that jerk a show. She knew it was too soon to make a break for it. If she stalled and forced him to come dress her, she could have ended up in a worse situation. She still wasn't sure how many people were aboard this vessel and she would be inviting more restrictions on herself if the escape wasn't successful. It would be better to tease him until that stoic façade couldn't handle it anymore. When he got desperate…she was hoping he would make a mistake or two.

She smiled shyly, batting her eyes innocently. "Um…you are going to watch?"

He nodded and puffed on his cigarette.

"Uh…alright."

"Don't be scared, little darlin'," he drawled. "It ain't nothing I haven't seen before."

"Do you know who I'll be wearing this for?" She asked as she picked up a full length, red silk evening gown. She looked puzzled for a moment and turned to hide her expression. _Where in the world did they get this kind of outfit? This is one hell of a slave outfit. _She sat it down on the floor next to her.

"Some import'nt fella. Might buy ya. You gotta look perty for 'im. But not before I get to inspect the goods," He chuckled.

Still facing away from him she took off her shirt, or what was left of it. The bandages still covering the majority of her torso made her feel not as naked. Then she slipped off her shorts, slowly as she bent over to pull them down her legs. Her black bikini panties covering very little of her behind. She heard him shift behind her and he cleared his throat. She grinned. Man, she had this guy pegged. "Turn around, darlin'," he rumbled.

Her smile of victory faded to one of annoyance. Ugh, what a perv. She was going to play it up for all it was worth, she decided. Rolling her eyes before turning around, her hands covering her breasts.

"D..Do…you like what you see?" She pretended.

"Mmm…yeah, baby," his hand drifted down to his nether regions as he stimulated himself. She blushed.

Something electronic beeped. Machen groaned; his little moment of perversion obliterated by the call of duty. He turned away and walked towards the door, frustrated, "What?!" he yelled into the com. She wasted no time and finished putting the silk dress on. It was almost perfect. It hugged her every curve but was slightly too long. The neckline plunged nearly to her navel, though it covered her breasts and the back was open to the base of her torso, skimming right below her lower back. She felt more like a lady than she ever had. She could only guess she looked stunning. And it was red, her favorite color. She giggled quietly. If only Vincent could see her now, he'd never believe it.

Machen stormed from the brig. Yuffie was relieved. Moments later, she was visited again by the medic, Zavery. "I…I forgot to give you this. It will heal all your wounds. It's a healing draught. D…don't tell anyone I gave it to you," she whispered as she handed a plastic bottle filled with an all too familiar liquid. _Thank the gods!_ Yuffie exclaimed inwardly as she downed it in one gulp. She handed the bottle to Zavery with a nod. Zavery stuffed it into her sleeve and exited the room quietly. Yuffie smirked. Things were working out perfectly. Though there was now no need for the bandages, she left them on. Now, if her luck would continue, she'd be out of here in no time. She looked to Zavery, "Can I ask you a few questions?"

Zavery looked to the door nervously, "Um…make it quick."

"How long have I been in here?"

"Two days. You slept the majority of the first one."

"Why have the engines stopped? Has the ship landed?"

"We've landed at a skyport near Junon. There is a dignitary coming to inspect you. He's on board right now, discussing some details with the Captain. They should be here any minute."

As if on cue, voices could be heard outside the brig door. Zavery's eyes widened in a look of pure terror. "Hand me your tray! Quickly!" she whispered.

Yuffie kicked the tray over to Zavery. It slid beneath the bars into Zavery's grasp. Zavery took a deep breath, as if preparing herself. She walked to the door hurriedly, and opened it. Captain Swift's voice could be heard more clearly outside the door as it slid open. His voice immediately stopped and Zavery stammered,"Mm..My apologies for interrupting, Captain. Sh..She is ready now."

"Noted. I will deal with you later. Now leave us." Sounds of footsteps could be heard scurrying away as the Captain continued, "Now, let us have a look at the goods in question. After you, gentlemen."

Two men entered the small brig, followed by Captain Swift. Both dressed in suits and ties. The larger of the two men reminded her of Rude. He was imposing and followed behind a shorter man in his seventies. The older gentleman wore glasses and was slightly hunched over. She stood in the middle of her cell, not really relishing the thought of being 'inspected'. She looked directly at the man as his eyes roamed over her form. He rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. She felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden and looked down to the ground, wrapping her arms around her. "Yes, Yes. She is a nice one, indeed. A little too skinny and her hair isn't long enough. But I think she might make a fine concubine…" He looked like a hungry wolf when he smiled. She shuddered. _Ew_, she mentally voiced.

"I have a feeling she is like a fine wine, my dear councilman. You know what they say, 'Good things come to those that wait, '" he chuckled as did the councilman.

Yuffie gritted her teeth in anger and forced herself not to ball up her fists.

"Can I touch her and inspect her further, Captain?" the councilman asked eagerly.

"I'm afraid that is out of the question until the auction is called. It will only be in two days. I couldn't let such a precious gem be damaged before then," the Captain's eyes roamed her body as well, she could feel it.

The older man just nodded as he continued to ogle her.

"Come, let us discuss the finer details in my office. I will give you the address of the auction and what time it starts." He led the way to the door. The older gentleman let his eyes roam her once more as he shuffled out of the brig.

She sunk to the ground in her favorite spot next to the back wall of her cell. _How degrading_. She curled up into a little ball and rested her head on her knees. Soon, soon this will be all over, she reassured herself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~*Present time*~

The armored vehicle quickly crossed out of the desert towards the nearest city, Junon. The people of Junon had started rebuilding it in the wake of Shinra's collapse. Previously a military base, it had been partially destroyed. As with all towns, there was a variety of people there from all backgrounds, however, the rebuilding process was slow and the majority of the city remained a slum. It was nefarious for its black markets and human trafficking. It was a jump, his logic, Vincent realized. Perhaps a hopeful leap of faith, some would call it, that the pirates had kept her alive and hadn't abused her physically or sexually. He couldn't let his mind go there right now. With Chaos unstable within him, it was a wonder he hadn't shifted already. What kept Chaos at bay, was the promise that he'd let the demon loose as soon as he stepped foot on that airship. He would rend everyone and everything apart until he found her.

The Heads-Up-Display beeped on the dash. Barrett reached over and pushed a button on the dash. Reeve's face appeared.

Vincent responded, "Reeve."

"Vincent, Barrett. I have some good and bad news." Reeve hesitated.

"We're all ears, Reeve." Barrett responded.

"First, the good. Your initial assumption about her whereabouts may have been correct, Vincent. The description Cid gave me of the ship and the crew, fits perfectly with a profile that the WRO has on a wanted pirate airship. The SnowHawk is the name of the ship, the Captain is one Rychos Swift. Not much is known about either one. It is rumored that Rychos' father served as some military commander for Shinra. From what Cid tells me, they have cannon weapons, landing gear and possibly a full crew."

"What's the bad news?" Vincent grumbled.

"The bad news is that our inside agents report there is to be a slave auction tomorrow night in Junon's District G, Sector 9. Tomorrow night is our only chance to rescue her, if she remains in their clutches. After that it will be near impossible to know who bought her or where they would take her. My agent isn't privy to that sort of information. Rychos is known to use the slave auction quite frequently, so my guess is that she will be there."

"Acknowledged. I will contact you when I have her," Vincent said.

"Thanks, Reeve!" Barrett bolstered.

"I will send you the last known map of Junon. I have marked areas of interest including skyports and the auction location. Good luck," Reeve's face flickered and faded from the screen. Moments later it was followed by a beep confirming data transmission.

He set himself to memorizing every section of the city as they sped towards Junon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sorry, no lemon as of yet. Its coming, I promise. 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. This is a nonprofit fic.

Setting: ~ After DoC~, I took and will take some liberties with naming geographical areas of the world since I am not super –in touch-- with the Final Fantasy world. I have watched Advent Children numerous times and I have played DoC but not FF7.

Rating: M. Most likely will contain some adult themes including but not limited to: Sex, violence, language. Its rated M just in case. This is intended to be an action/romance/drama fic.

Reviews: Please be kind! This is my first online published fic. I am welcome to any and all reviews tho. Thanks!

* * *

As they approached the city, Vincent grew ever more intense. His hold on Chaos was hanging by a thread. Barrett could feel the tension rising off of Vincent. It was almost tangible. The city gates were about three kilometers ahead when Vincent ordered Barrett to stop. Barrett looked confused but kept quiet and stopped the vehicle.

"Something isn't right." Vincent said at last. He exited the vehicle, his gaze intent on the surroundings and the ground. "Barrett, keep look out. I'm going the rest of the way on my own. Be ready."

"But…" the door shut behind Vincent as he walked away from the vehicle, inspecting the ground. "…were not even to the city yet…" Barrett continued to no one.

The smell of the salty sea and noxious fumes permeated the air. It hung heavy with moisture and there was hardly any breeze. The majority of the pollution that wrought havoc on the area was put to an end after Shinra collapsed. However, there were a few factories running still. Vegetation on the ground was sparse, but strangely it had almost a pattern to how it grew in this area.

His cell phone beeped. He pulled it out and read that he had one text message. It was from Cloud, "IF SHE'S IN GOOD CONDITION, BRING YUFFIE HERE AFTER YOU'VE FOUND HER. TIFA AND I HAVE A GUEST ROOM READY FOR HER. YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY TOO. GOOD LUCK." He shut the phone and put it into his pocket. He wasn't going to need luck. He had Chaos instead.

At that moment, he let go of his hold on Chaos and transformed. He jumped into the air, his tattered wings counteracting gravity as he rose to a height of 300 feet. His glowing orange eyes judged distance and his trajectory perfectly. He plummeted back to the ground, charging glowing materia in his pistol. The pistol shot forth when he was half way down. It exploded on the large square shaped patch of grass and created a massive crater. With wings back, he continued to plummet through the large dust cloud. He mentally made a note of how long it would take him to reach the opening and continued to plummet through that area and extended his wings, reversing his fall as he landed on the aft hull of the airship that lay below.

* * *

The cell was dank, gray and cold. They didn't even bother to bring her a blanket. Time was starting to wear her thin. An opportunity for escape had not presented itself yet and she was growing ancy. She was sure she had the strength to knock the cell door down. However, being able to fight an unknown amount of people on her own and without a weapon was not an attractive thought. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. _This was not going to be easy_, she thought.

Within seconds, Yuffie heard a large crash. An eery silence ensued as the vibrations from the crash radiated throughout the airship. Yuffie stood up, alarmed. More crashes and bangs could not only be heard but felt. This had to be her chance. Something definitely was happening. After a few minutes, Zavery came running into the brig.

"I think this is our chance to get you out of here. Someone is attacking the ship. How they found us, I don't know." she said quickly. "I don't have the combination though…" Another large crash and bang. The shouts of the crew members could be heard as well as gunshots.

"Not to worry! Stand back!" Yuffie ran and put both legs into her kick. The door jarred and then swung open. Yuffie caught herself on the floor neatly. "Alright!" she said as she pumped a fist into the air. Zavery looked somewhat shocked. "uh…how come you didn't do that before?"

"Well, all I needed was a distraction. Now that I have one, this is the perfect opportunity." Yuffie looked down at her bare hands and grimaced at her dress. "Know where I can find a weapon?"

"Mmmhmm. Follow me!" Zavery led the way out the brig and into the walkway. They ran down the hall and into a lift. The lift carried them up a floor and into another hallway. After running down that hallway, Zavery opened a door with a keycode. The door swung open and dim lights revealed a room full of weapons.

"Wow…" Yuffie said bright eyed.

"Yeah. This is some of the things we heist on occasion." Zavery responded. Yuffie looked around and found a wakizashi and katana. Her weapon was nowhere to be found. "Damn…don't happen to know where my large shuriken went, do you?"

"Uh…no we didn't recover any weapons when you were found."

Yuffie responded with a sigh. "This will have to do then."

She pulled a wakizashi out and started to cut a slit down the thigh of her long red dess. Zavery watched her, stunned. As Yuffie started to cut another slit, she said, "This damn thing will get in my way." The last part she cut was the material that hung in between the slits. It was cut off to her mid thigh. Zavery didn't think Yuffie looked half bad in her modified outfit. "Not half bad," she said, inspecting the blade, "looks like its Wutai." Her gaze shifted to the door and she sighed, getting herself ready for the fight to come. "Now, time to run. Are you coming with me?"

The young medic froze. "I …I can't."

Yuffie paused and turned to Zavery with a confused look, "Huh? Why not? You're telling me you really want to stay here?"

More crashes and booms sounded and shook the ship. Stumbling, they both managed to brace against the wall without falling.

"It's a really long story, I just…I just can't."

"Zavery!" Yuffie yelled in frustration. "I can't help you if you don't let me!"

"The captain is the only one who knows where my sister is. If I leave now, I'll never be able to find her. He sold her into slavery…" The young girl broke into tears and sunk to the floor.

Yuffie grabbed her by the collar and yanked her up. "This is no time to get weepy." Zavery righted herself and wiped her tears and sniffled. "Look, Zavery, the most important thing right now is to get to safety. There are other ways of finding your sister. It's very obvious these people here hurt you. It's not worth the pain and trouble. I'm sure your sister would want more for you."

Zavery looked to Yuffie with a mixture of hope and doubt in her eyes. "Trust me," she extended her hand to the girl. Zavery hesitantly took it. Yuffie beamed, "Now, let's go!" She rushed out of the weapons room to the dimly lit hallway. The lights flickered as another shockwave rumbled throughout the airship. Yuffie's brow creased. "Which way? Do you know a way out?"

"Yeah, but it involves the area where the fighting is currently happening. The only escape hatch is in the aft section."

"Well, we'll have to make due. Lead the way. It's bound to get tricky when we get closer."

The young medic grabbed firmly onto Yuffie's hand and jogged to the lift. Small vibrations could be felt through the metal beneath their feet. As they reached the lift, they were sure they'd have to use the emergency access tubes because it was non operational at first. The doors barely opened and they had to squeeze through. The keypad responded and soon they were moving upwards to the next floor. They ran through another series of hallways until Zavery announced, "It's up ahead. Just around the next corner."

Yuffie stopped and yanked her back, "Zavery, slow down!" Zavery came to a halt as Yuffie dragged her behind her and against the wall. "Let me go first and assess the situation. We don't know who or what is attacking the ship."

Zavery nodded her head. "Okay."

"Stay here and I'll be back shortly." Yuffie ran off down the corridor and was rounding the corner just as a huge explosion blew through the cargo bay door. She jumped back and flattened herself to the wall. When the smoke cleared she could hear footsteps kicking through the charred mess. She peered around the corner. Flames licked the walls, charred debris lie blackened in heaps and the form of Chaos came into view as he approached a slumped figure on the floor. Chaos walked up to the figure as the person leveled a gun with a shaky hand. "Hmph," Chaos breathed in amusement as he emptied a round in the figure's head. The figure slumped over with a thud. Yuffie pulled herself out of sight around the corner in panic. _Holy crap!_ Her fear was taking over. Her hand started to shake and her breaths came short and ragged. The footsteps continued towards her end of the hall. Within seconds, she was flatted against the wall with a hand around her neck, orange glowing eyes staring back at her. Her grip on the wakizashi loosened and it clinked on the ground below her.

"Vin….cent…." She managed to choke out, almost inaudible. An orange eye narrowed on her.

"Yuffie…." He rumbled as he pressed himself into her more. She could feel every inch of his rock-hard body against her. His breath ragged and warm as it dusted across her cheek. An evil, fanged smile graced his lips. Yuffie was about to pass out. Whether from fright, shock, lack of food, air or a combination of those things, she wasn't sure. Abruptly, his mood changed and his grip upon her neck loosened as he staggered backwards. Within an instant, energy began to dissipate from around Chaos; only to leave Vincent standing there. Yuffie visibly relaxed against the wall and timidly reached forward to steady Vincent. His eyes darted to her with the contact. Something incomprehensible flashed across his features and then disappeared as quick as it came. His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, taking in her figure before he averted his eyes. She gave him a small smile, letting him know she was okay. Her fingers squeezed his shoulder reassuredly. "Yuffie… I… Chaos…" He was cut off.

She whispered, "Not now, Vincent. Later." She let her hand drop from his shoulder and threw her arms around him as he let his head drop and rest against her shoulder. An arm tentatively wrapped around her slender form. "Thanks for coming for me," she pulled back from the embrace and kissed his cheek. She smiled, "I can always count on you."

He pulled back, "Yuffie, are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Good. We should go before anyone else arrives," he said while trying not to look directly at her low cut neckline.

"Uh…well…about that. Someone might be tagging along." She turned, looking for Zavery. "Hey, Zave, it's safe to come out. This guy's a friend!"

In all of the commotion she had lost track of Zavery. Wasn't she just right behind her? Maybe she ran off when she saw Chaos. No response came to her call. She bent down to grab the fallen sword. Vincent glanced at her backside momentarily.

"Zave?" She started down the corridor, back the way they came, with the intent of checking the nearest corner in sight. Vincent's armored gauntlet grabbed her arm gently. In that instant, Captain Swift and Machen stepped from around the corner that was Yuffie's destination. Zavery was nowhere in sight.

"I'm afraid our dear Zavery is a bit….incapacitated at the moment. You don't actually think you'll escape here? Not even your friend here can save you." Captain Swift smiled darkly. The medals on his jacket clinked as he got into a fighting stance, a very sharp katana glinting in the dim light of the corridor. Machen brushed his duster behind him, resting his hand on his holstered gunblade.

Yuffie's brow furrowed. She could only guess that nothing good could be surmised about Zavery's condition. Her grip on the wakizashi tightened.

"You obviously have no clue who we are." Vincent replied smoothly. His cloak brushed aside revealing Cerberus.

She let out a deep breath and glanced sideways at Vincent with a smirk. "I call that one," indicating Machen. "He's got it coming. As for Captain Loudmouth, I think his bark is more dangerous than his bite."

She saw Vincent nod out of the corner of her eye. "Let's go." They sprung into action.

* * *

A/N: Sorry guys! School is kicking my butt and I hardly have time for writing. Tho this chapter is short, I plan on writing very long ones for the next few. After December 12th, I should be posting more regularly. Thanks to everyone for the great reviews!


End file.
